Improvement in combined bow fasteners and guards for ox-yokes



E. N. BACON.

Combined Bow-Fasteners and Guards for [Ix-Yokes. N0 145,381 PatentedDec.9,1873.

16 1 @(glzaw UNITED STATES PATENT Orr'ron.

ERDIX N. BACON, OF CHELSEA, VERMONT.

I IMPROVEMENT IN COMBINED BOW FASTENERS AND GUARDS FOR OX-YOKES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 145,381, dated December9, 1873; application filed November 15, 1873.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ERDIX N. BACON, ofChelsea, in the State of Vermont, have invented a certain new and usefulImprovement ,in Combined Ox-Bow Fasteners and Guards;

and I hereby declare that the following is a full and exact descriptionof the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming apart of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of myimproved fastener and guard. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view,showing the fastener closed. Fig.

3 is a vertical sectional view, showing the fast- Y ener opened.

pecially on its outer surfaces, thereby weakening it, and'rendering itvery liable to splinter up or break off at the point where it passesthrough the yoke, unless protected. The object of my invention is toobviate these difliculties and objections.

In Fig. 1, A is the bow; B, the yoke; I, a plate or guard attached tothe top of the yoke; F, the frame or holder, in which the fastener isdisposed, being extended to form a guard and strengthener, y,- and G, aguard applied to the outside of the opposite end of the bow, the holderF, plate I, and guard Gr being of metal. My fastener consists of theframe or holder F, the two levers C D, suspended or hung on the pins i0, and a U shaped spring, E, disposed in the top of the bow between thelevers C D, as shown in Fig. 2, the free arms of the spring actingexpansively against the inside of-the levers to throw them apart, asseen in Fig. 3, H being a stop, against which the upper or short arms ofthe levers strike when thrown apart to their utmost extent. The lever Dis somewhat longer than the lever C, and has a hooked-shaped bill orpoint provided with a shoulder or notch, w, against which the point orupper end of the leverC catches when the lower ends of both C and D arepressed inwardly to the position shown in Fig. 2. The fastener is shownin Fig. 3 as in use, the dotted line 2-2 representing the top of theyoke or guard I, against which the lower ends of the levers strike, thuspreventin g the bow from being drawn out of or down through thebow-holes. The fastener frame or holder F is made of metal, and forms asocket for the upper end of the inner arm of the bow, as shown in Fig.1, a part of the frame being extended down the outside of the bow, asshown at 3 forming a guard and strengthener for the same.

It will be seen by the above that when the bow is detached from theyoke, and the levers are in the position shown in Fig. 3, if the bow isthen forced through the bow-holes in the yoke, the long arms of thelevers C D will be pressed inwardly by coming in contact with the yokein passing through said holes, the spring E yielding to the pressure ofthe levers. WVhen the how has advanced through the yoke far enough tobring the long arms of the levers above the guard or plate I, theresistance to the spring E will be removed, and it will expand and throwthe long arms of the levers apart, as shown in Fig. 3, thus looking orfastening the bow in position.

WVhenever it is required to remove the bow from the yoke, the long armsof the levers are pressed inwardly until the short arm or point of thelever C is caught and held in the notch 00 of the lever D. If, new, thebow is drawn downwardly through the bow-holes,

. the cam-shaped surface m of the lever D,

which, when the levers are in this position, projects slightly beyondthe outer surface of the bow A, will, by coming in contact with the bow,press the lower end or long arm of the lever D still farther in towardthe center of the bow, and thus detach the short arm of the same leverfrom the point of the lever C, allowing said point to escape out of thenotch a: and pass behind the upper end of the lever D, as shown in Fig.3, the lever D being so shaped as to admit of this. I

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is l. The bow-fastenerconsisting of the holder F, notched lever D, lever C, and spring E,combined to operate substantially in the manner set forth and specified.

2. The holder F, extended as shown at 1 to form a strengthener andguard, substantially in the manner described.

, ERDIX N. BACON.

Vitnesses:

L. G. HINOKLEX, FosTER Gnow.

